Much of the talk in the media leading up to Tuesday’s State of the Union address focused on how many of his goals President Barack Obama would concede going forward, given the new makeup of Congress. Even with his approval rating back above 50 percent, it was unclear if Obama would reaffirm the more progressive ideas in his agenda or commit only to moderate goals. It was reassuring that the president did not disappoint his supporters and crafted a refreshing, sensible speech that transcended political squabbling and presented a new path for the nation.
Two issues that have recently been out of the public eye—energy and education policy—were the first two issues he mentioned in his speech. This gesture was more than symbolic. Obama’s goal of generating 80 percent of the nation’s electricity from clean energy sources by 2035 is laudable and a concrete objective for a country facing what he called this generation’s “Sputnik moment.” Equally praiseworthy were his calls to revise the No Child Left Behind act, raise incentives and prizes for alternative energy research, and allocate more investment for educational policies like his successful Race to the Top program, which pushed dozens of states to implement broad education reforms at a relatively small cost to the federal government. The aims are ambitious but necessary given the size of the challenges, especially after years of inaction.
Obama is at his best when he speaks of his vision for society and chooses to “go big.” His willingness to defend the progress he has made on issues like healthcare and economic policy while still inviting bipartisan input showed the public the inspiring and unifying president they elected in 2008.
Obama made dubious proposals too, like a painful and unnecessary freeze on discretionary domestic spending coupled with disappointingly shallow defense cuts, but overall, the president emphasized important progressive goals while using concessions to push conservatives to action. There were some points missing, like the lack of an explicit call for action on the DREAM Act. But the president is in a sticky political situation that he managed well. His sense of purpose distanced him from the partisan politics that have consumed Congress. On Tuesday, Obama looked like a statesman who is prepared to take whatever steps necessary to address this nation’s problems and willing to work with anyone else ready to do the same.
